Hungarian Trilby

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 34, 10 February 1937, Page 6

Hungarian Trilby

REMARKABLE PERFORMANCES. BUDAPEST. The Pesti Naplo reports the strange case of a young Debrecen woman, without talent for acting or singing, who gives astonishing performances when under the influence of hypnotic suggestion. Tho caso resembles that of George du Alaurier’s famous heroine, Trilby, but happily for the young woman no sinister Svengali stands iu the background to direct her, as this is done by enlightened doctors in the presence of a committee. The new Trilby is the daughter of a judge of Debrecen. Her strange capacity was discovered a few weeks ago when she was rehearsing a part in some amateur theatricals. Two days before the perforxnanco was to take place it was seen that her playing was impossible, and her stage fright was so acute that her friends took her to a nerve specialist. The doctor discovered that she was suffering from certain inhibitions and put her into a hypnotic sloop, during which ho suggested that she would feel no fear on the night of tho performance. Although she had nover appeared on the stage before and had never had a lesson iu acting, her success was overwhelming. Owing to further nervous symptoms she continued to receive hypnotic treatment and it wus discovered that although she has no ear for music and knows nothing about singing, she possesses a voice of very lino quality.